NAFDAC impounds `Baban Aisha’ herbal products’ in Nasarawa State

The National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has impounded herbal products made by ‘Baban Aisha’ in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Mr Micheal Attah, Coordinator of NAFDAC in the state, disclosed this to newsmen in Lafia on Friday.

Attah explained that the agency took the step recently after several efforts failed to get the herbal dealer to complete registration with it and give full details of his products.

“We recently impounded Baba Aisha herbal products in Karu local government area. We told him that his products remain impounded until he gives us complete details.

“He gave us few documents telling us that he has initiated the process of registration but that is not an excuse.

“If your product is fully verified and registered by NAFDAC, you have no reason to go into the market,” he said.

The coordinator said further investigations revealed that the production of the herbs was not done in Nasarawa State but in Kaduna and Niger states.

For this reason, he said, the agency contacted its officials in the neighbouring states to monitor the activities of the herbal dealer.

“When we clamped down on the marketers, we were told that these herbs were being produced between Niger and Kaduna states.

“So, we asked our officers in these states to go to the facilities to investigate further,” he said.

He said the herbal dealer would only be prosecuted after full investigations had been concluded by officers of the agency in the neighbouring states where he was operating from.

“For now, we have warned him strictly that his products should no longer come to Nasarawa State until they are fully registered.

This warning also goes to other unregistered herbal products being advertised.

The coordinator advised residents of the state and Nigerians not to patronise unregistered herbal practitioners until their products are fully verified and registered by NAFDAC as safe for human consumption.